


All We've Ever Known

by DrewWrites



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Humor, Coming of Age, Diners, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Multi, Running Away, Semi-Slow Burn, Steve and Bucky are 20, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is 19, and suggestive themes, rated T for minor language, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-06-09 10:59:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15266055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrewWrites/pseuds/DrewWrites
Summary: Tony Stark decides to pack up his stuff and leave his parent's home in Malibu. Along the way he meets Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, two workers at a Diner in Brooklyn.Running away to become no one can be lonely, but it doesn't have to be.------"Baby, I'm leavingBefore tomorrow comesI don't believe in saying 'I'm never coming home'But I'm drawing the lineAnd say whatever you likeBut I'm leavingI'm letting go of all I've ever known"Leaving by Illenium





	1. Somewhere to Become No One

**Author's Note:**

> This story, and its title, were inspired by Leaving by Illenium. Honestly it was inspired by an entire playlist full of songs, but that one started it. I intended to make this a small one-shot, but it took on a life of it’s own and here we are. This is my first time trying something like this, so please be honest in your criticisms.

Tony didn’t know who he was. He didn’t know what he kept doing that was so wrong. He didn’t know how to get his father to be proud of him, how to get his mother to spend time with him, or how to stop Jarvis from looking at him with pity.

What Tony did know, however, was that he had reached a breaking point. There was nothing left for him at home. He needed out, and he needed out now.

God, he was only 19, he just wished he could be a normal kid and party with friends he didn’t have. But he couldn’t be normal. 

He was so sick of it all. Howard’s expectations that he could never meet, and the subsequent punishments. His mother's blank stare, like she never wanted Tony in the first place. He was so sick of fake friends trying to get his money. Sick of his life.

So he packed his stuff. 

The small amount of belongings that he cared about or needed, at least. This included a small amount of money that he had earned all on his own, the few clothes he had that didn’t cost a fortune, his journal, and his phone. 

He waited until night, and snuck out of the house with a backpack.

And just like that, he was leaving all he’d ever known. Money and blank stares and charity benefits and fake smiles.

His first stop was a bus station. He bought the ticket to the farthest place from Malibu possible - Brooklyn, apparently - and made himself comfortable. Tony had all the time in the world, and he intended to use it to its fullest extent.

He quickly realized, as the first text messages came in, that his phone could be tracked because his father was _Howard Stark_. So when the bus made a brief stop, he chucked it in a dumpster. 

Besides, he didn’t have anyone to call, anyway.

He spent most of the journey scribbling notes about his inventions in his journal, sleeping, or watching America’s scenery pass by. When the bus made stops to refuel or switch drivers, Tony either changed clothes, found a laundry mat, or snuck into a local gym to shower. He tried his best to afford food here and there, as well.

It took three days to reach Brooklyn. It was nearing evening when he stepped off the bus.

The city wasn’t quite beautiful, but Tony thought it had its own cozy and charming feel. 

The perfect place to be absolutely nobody and start over.

Tony started on his way down the street. His first priority was to find some cheap place to sit and eat, and then hopefully somewhere to sleep. He wasn’t opposed to a park bench.

The first restaurant that he came across was a worn down diner with the name “Wallflower Diner” scrawled across the front in fading blue lettering. The sign in the window was flipped to ‘open’ and, when peering through the window, it looked decently busy.

It looked like something ripped right out of the forties. It was somewhere that Tony never would have gone with his parents.

He waltzed right in.

Everything about it was cheesy and really played into the whole forties vibe. From the yellow countertops and the red booths, to the waiters dressed in period appropriate aprons. 

Down to the _very attractive_ blonde man behind the counter. A down right good ol’ boy, who had given him a small smile in acknowledgement and continued talking to a few patrons sitting on the bar stools.

Tony immediately fell in love with everything about the little restaurant. He spotted a small booth in the corner and dropped his bag there, settling in on the other side.

He pulled out his wad of money and carefully counted what he had, and then grabbed a menu from the little basket on the table. He could afford a plain burger and maybe a side, if he wanted to sleep somewhere comfortable that night.

A waiter sidled up to Tony’s booth and gave him a smile.

“Hey doll, I’m your server for tonight. Name’s Bucky.” The man said with a Brooklyn drawl. The man - Bucky - was just as attractive as the blonde behind the counter. Bucky had messy brown hair that had been tied loosely into a bun, and he had the build of a freaking lumberjack.

Tony gave Bucky a wide grin.

“I’m Tony.” Tony checked Bucky out no-so-subtly, and was pleased to see a smug grin on said man’s face.

“Well Tony, can’t say I’ve seen you ‘round here. What’s a fella like you doin’ in a place like this?” Bucky teases. Two could play at that game.

“Oh you know, running from home. My life was boring, and I wanted an exciting adventure out of life. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet the man of my dreams.” Tony made sure to up the dramatics, giving a longing sigh. But he found the joke to be all too true. Bucky chuckled at him.

“Guy like you deserves an adventure, and a damn good man. Alas, I can only offer you coffee and pie to compensate for your harrowing journey.” Bucky threw a wink at Tony, who let out a small laugh.

“I’ll have to say no to the coffee, thanks. Water’s all I can manage.” Tony had thought that admitting to strangers that he had little money would be hard, but it was kind of… therapeutic. It was so much distance from the lavish Stark lifestyle. Tony reveled in it.

“Anything you’d like. I’ll be right back.” Bucky gave Tony one last grin before turning and walking into what Tony assumed was the kitchen. He leant back in his seat and brought the menu to his face.

Bucky was nice, but he didn’t run away from disappointment to find more disappointment. But he was still attractive, so Tony could appreciate the show.

Moments later, Bucky returned with his glass of water. And a mug of coffee?

“On the house. We’re suckers for cute brunettes.” Bucky explained when he saw Tony’s confused look. He wasn’t one to turn down caffeine, so he hesitantly wrapped his hands around the still hot mug and glanced at Bucky. Maybe taking a chance wasn’t a horrible idea.

“We?”

“Steve and I,” Bucky gestured to the blonde behind the counter who gave Tony a smile when he glanced over, “And, you looked like you needed it.”

“Thank you.” Tony said. He couldn’t help the soft smile on his face.

“Of course, darlin’. Decided what you want yet?” Tony gave him a small nod, and Bucky pulled out a pad of paper.

“Just a burger is all.” 

“That’s all? You’re halfway to blowing over, doll. You need to get something more than that.” Bucky’s face showed a hint of concern.

“Not if I want a comfortable place to sleep tonight.” Tony responded quietly.

“Darlin’, if you think you’re gonna come into this diner and not be taken care of, you’re mistaken.” Bucky put his notepad back into the pocket of his apron and moved to go behind the counter. Tony didn’t even have time to react. He ended up returning with a full meal, complete with a salad and a milkshake.

Tony sure did pick an interesting place to eat at.

The rest of his evening at the diner was rather interesting. When Bucky would come to check to see how things were - too many times to be strictly necessary - he would flirt with Tony, or send him a quick wink when he passed by.

The blonde, Steve, kept sending him glances and would exchange a few words with Bucky when he had a spare minute.

By the time the sun was nearly under the horizon, and the last of the customers cleared out, Tony figured it was time to leave. He gathered all the trash off his table, and moved to grab his bag.

“He wait a minute sweetheart.” Tony looked up to see Bucky holding two plates of pie and Steve standing behind him with his own plate.

“Stick around and sit with us for a few minutes?” 

Tony hesitated before answering. They _seemed_ like nice men, but Tony couldn’t be sure that they didn’t want to murder him. But, it wasn’t like he had much to loose.

“Sure.” Bucky’s face lit up, and he unapologetically slid in beside Tony, Steve sitting down a little more hesitant on the other side.

“I’m Steve.”

“Tony.”

Steve’s smile was all sweet and shy, and Tony couldn’t help but feel at ease around the two men, despite how large they were.

“Thank you, by the way, for all the food. You didn’t need to do that. I can pay you back once I find I job.” 

“Don’t worry about it. You looked lost, you clearly aren’t from around here.” Bucky teased.

“Buck,” Steve warned. Tony waved him off with a smile.

“It’s okay. He’s right.” Tony’s smile wavered ever so slightly.

“What’s your story then?” Steve asked. Tony glanced between the two, and looked down at the table, gathering his thoughts. 

“You don’t want to hear about it.” He decided.

“Tell us, love. Start with where you’re from.” Steve reassured. Tony blushed slightly at being called ‘love’.

“I’m from Malibu. I ran away from home.” Tony launched into his story. He didn’t give the details. Didn’t tell them that his father was one of the most well known men in the world, and that they had probably given up the search by now. Didn’t tell them about his fortune or his inventions.

He did tell them, however, about how he didn’t belong. About how he didn’t know where he belonged or who he was. About how there were so many expectations to live up to. About how he took the essentials and went as far away as possible. About how he wanted to start over.

“Sounds a lot like me and Stevie.” Bucky added in.

“Yeah?” Tony asked.

Bucky gave Steve a soft smile.

“We aged out of the foster system two years ago. We’ve been working here for both those, trying to save up enough money to get in Bucky’s truck and drive. Find somewhere small to start over. Somewhere that we can, well,” Steve struggled with the words.

“Be nobody?” Tony offered.

“Somewhere that we can be nobody, yeah.” 

The three sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, eating away at their pie. Tony glanced between Steve and Bucky. He took in the way that they stole glances when the other wasn’t looking, and the way that both of their hands were on the table, but not quite touching. Interesting.

“How’s it coming along? How close are you to two leaving?” Tony asked. Bucky answered this time.

“Tomorrow night actually,” Bucky shot Steve a glance, and he gave a slight nod back, “We were actually going to ask you if you wanted to come along.” Tony’s eyebrows shot up.

“You want me to come? Why?”

“Well, you seem like you’re struggling to just get food, and you’re running, same as us. We all just want somewhere to start over, and Brooklyn ain’t that. A journey is always less fun when you’re on your own, anyway.” Steve explained. Tony’s knee jerk reaction was to say no, but he stopped himself. 

Why should he say yes? But then again, Why should he say no? Who was stopping him? He made his own rules now.

‘Well, I guess so. Only because you are both attractive and I can overlook the fact that you might be serial killers.” Tony said with a wink. Steve blushed, and Bucky chuckled.

“I like ‘im, shame we have ta kill him. You know, serial killer business and all that,” joked Bucky.

“Oh, a tragedy really. You could have used my rugged good looks to pull in more victims.”

“Real shame he was onto us so fast, Buck. How are we supposed to flirt now?” Steve added. Tony let out a full-bellied laughed at that one.

“Don’t worry, being murdered in cold blood is my biggest turn on.” 

The three continued on teasing and flirting as if they’d known each other for months, not hours, taking bites of their pies in between until their plates were clear. Tony had never felt like this before. Like he belonged with anyone. He felt like he had… friends. 

Tony liked that feeling.


	2. Tell me why I'm living so fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins.
> 
> Chapter title from Push by Fog Lake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi.
> 
> Sorry for the wait, and I'm sorry if it wasn't worth it. I gave up on making this story probable and have decided on making it a side project that I use to experiment with writing styles.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Steve and Bucky’s blue truck was a small, old thing. Tony could tell that it was well loved by the mismatched parts and slightly different paint colors dotting the sides.

The bed of the truck was decently sized, half of it being taken up by Steve and Bucky’s luggage. Tony kept his backpack in the empty seat next to him.

The feeling of having all of his belongings in one bag was foreign to him. He was used to being the nuisance on family trips that takes up half the car with luggage. Yet, there it all was. A dingy red and blue backpack, that looked more like dried blood and black dirt with how old it is. It was a birthday present from Jarvis when he turned 13.

They had left the apartment at 8 am sharp. Their agreed-upon plan was to drive as North as possible and look for the most unassuming town possible. If they hadn’t found anything interesting by the time they reached the Canadian border, they would start driving South. 

3 hours after the start of the trip, they’re stopped in Dover, Massachusetts. Bucky, who was on driving duty for the first 6 hour shift, said it was because they needed gas. Steve called bullshit.

Tony watched in amusement as Steve and Bucky bickered in the front seat, the gas pump filling the car.

“Name one good reason why we can’t stop here and explore,” Bucky shot at Steve.

“Because all you’re gonna do is look for the fucking Dover Demon!” Steve sounded frustrated, but his fond expression gave him away. Bucky made a mock-pout.

“Sorry, what’s the Dover Demon?” Tony asked. Bucky’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and a wide grin spread across his face.

“You don’t know about the Dover Demon?”

Tony shifted in his seat, unsettled by Bucky’s tone, yet intrigued.

“Bucky’s a bit of a cryptid hunter. It’s all conspiracy, don’t worry,” Steve answered. Bucky’s fake pout quickly returned.

“You’re no fun,” he grumbled. Steve rolled his eyes and gestured to the gas pump outside. “We’re almost full.”

As Bucky clambered out of the truck, Steve twisted around to face Tony.

“Don’t let him scare you. He’ll probably be stopping at a dozen places like this for no reason other than saying he has done,” Steve said with a small smile. Tony shrugged.

“I don’t mind. None of that stuff really scares me, I’m a firm believer in science,” Tony replied. Steve raised an eyebrow at him, urging him to continue.

“Well, I’m technically an engineer, but I study physics and astronomy in my spare time.” Tony fidgeted with his sleeves. That shouldn’t be enough to figure out who he is, right? There were plenty of teenagers his age interested in science.

“Is that why you left? Did your parents not want you to study that or something?” Steve questioned. Tony let out a sarcastic laugh.

“More like wanted me to study it too much and to do it _their way._ ” Tony suppressed a frustrated sigh. Steve’s eyebrows pinched together.

“Maybe we can stop somewhere and get you some books? You could go at your own pace,” he suggested. Before Tony could reply, Bucky landed back in the car, and shot Steve a mischievous look.

“Who’s pace we going at?” Bucky teased, leaning in slightly. Steve’s attention was drawn away from Tony, and he gave Bucky a warm smile.

“That was god awful,” he laughed, his face flushing.

Tony glanced between the two and shrunk back into his seat, suddenly feeling like he was intruding. A heavy silence descended into the car, and Tony slowly attempted to grab his notebook from his bag. As if coming back to reality, Bucky cleared his throat and twisted around to look at him.

“Sorry, what did I miss?” He asked, as if he wasn’t just gazing into Steve’s eyes. 

“Tony’s a science nerd like you,” Steve commented. Tony blushed and shoved his notebook back into his bag. Bucky made an interested noise.

“Oh? What do you do?”

“Mostly just fix up cars and stuff like that,” Tony mumbled. It was a lie, and not a very good one. He invented things for Stark Industries, he wasn’t just a mechanic. His notebook was half-full of ideas and redesigns, most of which were produced by SI officially.

“Bucky likes to teach himself physics,” Steve added.

“He can also speak for himself, thanks. How long you been fixin’ cars for?” Bucky asked as he turned and started the car again. Tony shifted in his seat again.

“My dad started teaching me about them when I was 10.” Another lie. Howard had brought him into the workshop when he was 8, and he started working at 9.

“Wow. You must be pretty good at it, then.” Tony made a vague noise of agreement.

“What about you?”

Their conversation bounced along as Bucky drove. Tony learns that Bucky found the consistency and firmness of physics comforting. He tells Bucky that he learned physics from old textbooks of his dad’s. He learns that Steve took Bucky stargazing in the middle of nowhere after they got their truck. He tells them that he’s never seen a clear sky full of stars.

Tony also learns that Steve and Bucky steal glances at each other when the other isn’t looking. He learns that they “accidentally” brush hands whenever possible. They somehow manage to stay on the road, even with Bucky’s eyes going all gooey every five minutes.

Regret and guilt creeps into Tony’s head. It was obvious that they loved each other, and he had a sneaking suspicion that they were more than just friends. He felt like he was stopping them from having their getaway. He should have said no.

As the conversation lulled to a halt, Tony rearranged himself in his seat and closed his eyes, hoping to get at least a few hours.

His mind drifted as his eyes fell shut.

Tony’s head cycled through the past two days on loop. 

He leaves home, makes it to Brooklyn, and falls asleep at his new friends’ apartment. He leaves home, makes it to Brooklyn, and is left in the cold. He leaves home, someone grabs him off the bus. 

Howard catches him leaving home. Tony’s wrist is in his father’s grip. Maria is screaming at him. Jarvis is desperately trying to reach him.

Tony jolts awake.

They’re still on the road. Soft music is playing from the speakers. They must have stopped at one point, because Bucky and Steve had switched seats. Tony sits all the way up.

“There you are. You’ve been out for hours,” Steve laughed. Tony’s face flushed.

“Did I miss much?”

“Naw, but we did grab you some snacks at the last stop.” That was Bucky. He turned his head toward the back briefly, and shot Tony a wink. Tony cleared his throat and looked away quickly. Bucky had pulled his hair out of his face and into a bun, and it should not be that hot.

“They’re on the floor if you want them,” Steve said, rolling his eyes at Bucky.

“Thanks.” An awkward silence made its way into the car.

“We still don’t bite, you know,” Steve joked. The statement was just so sudden, that a giggle forced its way out of Tony’s mouth. 

Once he had started, he couldn’t stop laughing. Bucky was soon to join him, and Steve after him. It got so bad, that Steve had to pull over to the side of the road. Tony didn’t remember his cheeks hurting this much in years.

“That wasn’t even that funny, you jerk,” Tony said once they had quieted down enough. This sent them all into another fit of giggles. Bucky took in a big gulp of air.

“What are we even laughing at?” Bucky gasped between laughs. No one was capable of answering, too caught up in laughing.

Finally, it hurt too much to keep going, and the car quieted down. Steve caught Tony’s eye in the rearview mirror and smiled.

“I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in years,” Tony commented.

“My whole body hurts,” Bucky complained. 

Steve gave a long suffering sigh, and started the car again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the rest of the story planned out, and I would promise that it will be finished soon, but honestly my life is so unpredictable that I would immediately break that promise.
> 
> Let me know what you thought!
> 
> Main tumblr: apieceofandrewforyou
> 
> Writing tumblr (send prompts here): andrew-writes-things

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you think? Would you like a second chapter? Too short? Too long?
> 
> PLEASE let me know what you thought. I'm experimenting with different styles and genre's and want to see what does the best.
> 
> Find me on my main tumblr: apieceofandrewforyou  
> Or send me prompts: andrew-writes-things
> 
> You may also give me prompts here!
> 
> Special thanks to religious-pizza-roll for beta reading. You're a doll and you put up with my constant requests for opinions and beta readings.


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